Video link here:
I know what I think it is, but I’m a subaru guy, we have certain low expectations. What do y’all think? I used to have a 2.2 diesel Mondeo and it basically sounded exactly like this!
First things to check would be the pulleys and tensioner for the auxiliary belt.
Were around £100 to replace the lot incl belt when I did mine.
You can whip the belt off and start up, run only for a few secs.
That deeper knocking on high revs seems to me to point to maybe a tensioner rather than in the actual engine.
Any advice is given as to check first, I’m not a mechanical wiz but we’ve been asked to diagnose similar sounds before, some have been shot pulley/tensioners.
Oh, what mileage BTW?
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As mick says…
First check is serpentine belt n pulleys 
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Unfortunately it sounds like a small end (gudgeon pin) bearing failed to me. The noise seems to occur as the engine crests it’s revs, which is the point that the pin bearing is unloaded and where you will usually hear it.
There’s an outside chance it could be the big end although these usually make a ‘heavier’ sound.
As others have said it’s worth running the engine without the belts on the off chance it’s something less expensive.
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Thanks folks- it’s got 130000 miles on it.
So I bought it with this rattle, on the basis that it was cheap enough to throw a new engine into it if need be. I started on the assumption it was the bottom end since it basically sounds a lot like a dead ej, but I drove it from Reading to Edinburgh expecting it to worsen/die and it just kept going, it’s too variable and tbh it would have come apart by now.
So then because of the rev dependancy I assumed either wrist pin or something valvetrainey (I don’t understand VVT, too oldfashioned). It does smoke occasionally but that could be unrelated.
I’ll try the belt first, never even considered that as an option- it does have some squeal as you can hear in the vid. That’d be a treat if it’s just that!
Cheers folks- will update in a few days
Driving that distance and it didn’t die on you may just suggest it’s as my post but as I said I’m no expert. Let’s hope for a cheap fix👍
Oil starvation will definitely kill these engines, if it’s been treated poorly in the past re services then expect the worse.
Somebody’s robbed your fuse and battery covers unless you’ve been doing some work there 
My first step was to try and remove or nail down everything else that was rattling in the car. But I stopped after those covers because I realised it’s more rattle than car. It was like trying to put out a fire by removing all the burny.
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Bottom ends gone due to it being run without oil.
Engine rebuild time.
I was assured my engine was knackered by a well known specialist who quoted £2000+ for repair….
I self diagnosed the faulty belt/ pulleys 
Cost less than £100 for repair
The car is still running without fault 4 yrs later:red_car:
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Specialists in what, bullsh1t?
Compared to me they were generalists, my No. 1 specialist subject is engines.
For sure take the belt off and run it, it’ll still rattle.
If the oil filter hasn’t been done for a while then remove it and cut it open, all the evidence will be contained within. The engine oil will also be of the funky sparkling type too.
He needs to be aware that every time it’s run and driven it’s making it worse too, right up until it lets go completely with a big bang.
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Sorry for slow followup, thought I should post back inevitable sparkles:
I am kinda impressed by how it’s held together- like I mentioned I picked up the car just south of Reading, drove it to Edinburgh, then took it to a trackday all with the rattle only slightly worsening. I was really expecting the oil to be absolutely fabulous and shiny, and the filter to be packed, after all that but tbf the oil just looks like any used oil until you really get looking. Of course, it could just have easily have nipped up and destroyed itself but still. Well done broken engine.